Can the Brewers reach postseason play with Eric Gagne closing for them?

Milwaukee residents are debating that point today on the heels of Gagne’s third blown save in nine attempts. He spit up a game in Cincinnati, allowing back-to-back homers to Edwin Encarnacion and, ahem, Paul Bako.

He assured Brewers manager Ned Yost he was able to pitch his fourth consecutive game. “I check with my relievers every day,” Yost told MLB.com. “He felt good. It was pushing it a little bit. But, he felt loose.”

Unfortunately, Gagne didn’t have much command. He allowed three runs and didn’t retire a batter.

“I felt really good,” Gagne said. “I’m healthy. It took me just 10 or 12 pitches to get ready. I got behind in the count early and put myself in trouble. They put the big part of the bat on the ball. Everything felt good. I just didn’t get ahead. I wish I could control the outcome.”

So do the Brewers. The club gambled $10 million on a one-year deal for Gagne, hoping that his ’07 struggles for the Red Sox were an aberration and not an indicator.

Gagne’s early-season earned-run average is 8.22. He has allowed nine hits (including four homers) and three walks in 7 2/3 innings. He isn’t the only big league closer struggling this April, but he is making Brewer fans sweat.

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

Questions to ponder while wondering why the Giants have the Cardinals number this year:

• So what does Frank Thomas do now? Should he team up with Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa on a restaurant project?
• Shouldn’t the rotation competition bring out the best in Braden Looper, not the worst?
• With Tiger Woods sidelined by knee surgery, will Boo Weekley take over the PGA Tour?
• Will the Anaheim Ducks scatter now that their Stanley Cup defense ended prematurely?

NEW BOSS SAME AS THE OLD BOSS

New Yankees chieftain Hank Steinbrenner is carrying on like father George did in his heyday. Hank’s latest outrage: The team’s relegation of Joba Chamberlain to the bullpen.

“I want him as a starter and so does everyone else, including him, and that is what we are working toward and we need him there now,” Steinbrenner told the New York Times. “There is no question about it, you don’t have a guy with a 100-mile-per-hour fastball and keep him as a setup guy. You just don’t do that. You have to be an idiot to do that.”

Got that, Joe Girardi?

QUIPS ‘R US

Here is what some of America’s leading sports pundits have been writing:

Greg Cote, Miami Herald: “Instead of a classic Tiger charge, drama at The Masters last week entailed a guy named Immelman staving off a guy named Snedeker. Not good when the green jacket needs a ‘Hello My Name Is’ sticker.”

Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel: “New motto for The Players Championship now that Tiger Woods will skip it while rehabbing after knee surgery: ‘We buried our ratings at wounded knee.’”

Norman Chad, syndicated columnist: “Granted, it’s dangerous talking on the cellphone while driving, but is it any worse than listening to sports talk radio while driving?”

Dwight Perry, Seattle Times: “The Blue Jays released designated hitter Frank Thomas on Sunday, just one day after he was benched and complained about his lack of playing time. In a related story, Thomas asked to be henceforth known as The Deeply Hurt.”

Jay Mariotti, Chicago Sun-Times: “I’m not sure how this is possible, but several days have passed since Ozzie Guillen torched an umpire or infuriated a country. More impressively, we’ve gone entire weeks without Ken Williams complaining about a mysterious anti-White Sox bias or threatening to sue Jose Canseco.”

David Thomas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, on an orbiting astronaut throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before a Yankees-Red Sox game: “Apparently, they had a baseball sitting around the space station from Chan Ho Park’s days with the Rangers.”

MEGAPHONE

“I was just driving a ‘96 Honda Civic and the paint was coming off. But we just went to a car auction and got another one the other day. I moved up to a 2001 Accord, so I’m big-time rolling. It has 300,000 miles on it. It’s good and perfect for what I need.”

New USC starting quarterback Mark Sanchez, assuring Fox Sports Radio that he won’t big-time his teammates.